How to Spike Volleyball: Techniques, Tips, and Strategies

How to spike volleyball balls by tipping short, tipping deep, roll shot, or cut shot when you need to score points on your high school varsity volleyball team.

How to spike volleyball balls like a top high school varsity hitter: USA Olympian, Pro Player Megan Hodge hits around the block with an offspeed shot (Jaroslaw)

There are very specific strategies for how to spike volleyball balls for top high school players to use in order to vary their attack options when spiking a ball. 

You should learn how to

1. mix up your shots

2. how to fix a trap set with a tip

3. hit the ball hard with imperfect sets

How to spike volleyball balls with 3 tactics: tip the ball short, tip it deep, roll shot, or cut shot when you need to score points in difficult situations. (Texas orange and white scrimmage hitter hitting the cut shot. photo by Ralph Aversen)

These high school varsity volleyball attack strategies exist so you have options when you find yourself in trouble and need to score a point or sideout even if you have a bad set.

If you are an outside hitter that gets set a ball too close to the net, then you can use the tip to score a point or a sideout by aiming for the outside or external arm of the blocker and then wipe the ball off the outside most forearm of the blocker in front of you.

This is one of the hardest volleyball hitting strategies for the opposing team's defense to pick up.

How To Spike Volleyball Balls: Spikers should remember that they have the option to tip the ball deep in the court if they want to score some smart points.

Like experience varsity players do, you too can decide whether to use a short, deep, off speed or hard attack hit into the opposing team's court to attempt to score points for your team.

Your options for scoring a point include

• the short tip behind the block or to the middle of the court
• an off speed shot over the block to the middle of the court
• a roll shot to the middle of the court or behind the block
• a deep tip to the deep corners of the court
• a cut shot from zone to 2 or 4 to the opposite corner on the opposing court

Many times during a fast paced game, hitters will get into a tipping rhythm and will repeatedly tip right behind the big block they are intimidated by.

How To Spike Volleyball Balls: USC volleyball player Falyn Fonoimoana spiking the ball Photo by Neon Tommy

But between points while the ball is dead and before performing any hits in a game, you can ask your teammates between plays to tell you what space is wide open in the opposing team's defense.

Especially if the opposing team is playing man up defense which means they put one of their defensive players behind the block, so if anyone were to tip the ball right behind the blockers there would be someone there to pick that up.

Your teammates should be able to tell you whether that spot behind the block is open or which other deep areas of the court are open for you to tip the ball to. 

In practice, instead of just using hard spikes all the time, you should mix up your attacks in your spike training drills by alternating between tipping short, and tipping deep to the corners.

In high school varsity volleyball practice, instead of just using hard spikes all the time, mix up your attacks in your spike training drills by alternating between tipping short, and tipping deep to the corners.(Arvesen)

As hard as it is not to hit the ball on a good set, you should remember that the opposing team is waiting for you to hit the ball on a good set.

You will increase the chances of surprising them by occasionally tipping the ball on a good set.

This is one of the more popular hitting strategies that high school varsity volleyball players use to make themselves unpredictable and to change up their attack.

How To Spike Volleyball Balls: Coach April spiking the ball hard in the Italian Division I championship finals.

You want to feel comfortable with

• hitting the ball hard even when you get an imperfect set

and you want to be able

• to mix up your attacks with an occasional tip when you get a good set.

Since the opposing team's defense will expect you to hit a great set, they will be dug in on defense, and your tip will keep them off balance since everybody in the gym will expect you to do your best hits on a good set.

Just also be prepared to do the opposite!

You want to always keep the opposing team guessing.

The more unpredictable you are as a high school varsity volleyball hitter the more your attack hits will work in your favor. 

Tip Shots:

• - Start with a proper approach: Position yourself behind the ball with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• - Take a few explosive steps towards the net, coordinating with the setter's timing.
• - As you approach the ball, elevate by jumping explosively off both feet.
• - Keep your eye on the ball and adjust your arm positioning for a tip shot.
• - At the peak of your jump, use your fingertips to lightly contact the ball, directing it towards your desired target on the opponent's court.
• - Follow through with your arm and maintain a controlled landing.

• Follow the same spike approach as with tip shots.
• Generate power by swinging both arms back and then both forward to a high position above your head
• Pull your hitting arm back keeping your elbow high before brining it forward to make contact with the bottom half of the ball with the heel of your hand, creating topspin and causing the ball to roll upward with forward spin
• Aim to place the ball in strategic areas of the opponent's court that are difficult for defenders to reach, like the middle of the court near the ten foot line.

• Begin with the spike approach, positioning yourself behind the set 
• As you approach the ball, adjust your arm positioning keeping your elbow high close to your ear before placing your hand on the outside panels of the ball for a cut shot
• Attack the last two steps in your spike approach in order to jump explosively off both feet and rotate your hand to the opposite side of the ball which pushes it in the direction of where you want the cut shot to land.
• Extend your hitting arm fully, making contact with the ball at the highest point of your jump.
• Use your hand and wrist to make contact at a a sharp angle on the ball, directing it towards the intended zone on the opponent's court.
• Follow through with your arm and maintain a balanced landing.

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Hitting Hard with Imperfect Sets:

• Adjust your approach to position yourself so that you get your feet to the ball before it comes down to the level of the net, especially if you see the set is going to land inside the court, further away from where its supposed to land
• Time your approach so that you take bigger last two steps of your spike approach so that you get closer to the ball 
• Swing both arms back and then both up before swinging your hitting arm back in a bow and arrow type shape  before whipping your arm forward to make contact with the top of the ball using a strong forearm snap and explosive follow-through.
• Aim to hit the ball with power and accuracy, targeting open areas in the opponent's defense.
• Practice adapting to different types of sets in order to develop the ability to hit hard even with imperfect setups.

Remember, these steps serve as a general guideline.

It's important to practice and receive feedback from coaches or experienced players to refine your techniques and tailor them to your individual style and strengths.

Okay here's where you need to go now! There are three options: 

1. Learn more about Smart Strategies by clicking the Related Links below. .
2. Follow the suggested reading on our Sitemap page Learning How To Play (Sitemap)

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